The Second Princess [indefinite hiatus.]

Twisted Fates | 21

I don't own Fire Emblem.

...

"I will atone...for my actions...for my betrayal...with my life." Gunter nodded weakly to her. "Please...accept...this punishment...for me."

The knight collapsed in his own pool of spilling blood, which prompted Corrin to scream in pain again. Takumi was quickly by her side, hugging her as she sobbed.

Diana took a step back, feeling her own tears spill down her face. "No..." she whispered. "This can't be how this ends."

...

The pain of war had reached Corrin's eyes and soul far long before this. War was death and destruction, and those who partake in it suffer. She had already gotten a taste of it when Mikoto had died in her arms, and even when Scarlet sacrificed herself to protect her.

So why did the death of a betrayer hit her just as hard as those who had sworn to protect her no matter what the cost?

Corrin didn't understand. She sobbed her eyes out in Takumi's arms, but that pain only made her disoriented and confused about why she was mourning him. She had belief that he would come back to her, realize that she still trusted in him after all this time, but instead, he had taken his own life to repent.

This wasn't what she had wanted.

She was in such distress and mourning that she didn't notice Anastasia walk up to Gunter's body, kneeling down in front of him, and holding her free hand over his body.

There was a dull yellow glow that erupted from him, and her eyes widened. The dull yellow glow completely faded, and she quickly placed two fingers on the side of his neck, before turning back to the army.

"He's still breathing!" She called out, and Corrin's heart skipped a beat. "There's still a chance to save him!"

Corrin's eyes darted toward Anastasia in shock, but the other woman's eyes were fixed on Elise and Sakura. "Princess Sakura and Princess Elise, I need your combined healing experience to help me support him on this. Please, we don't have much time."

"Hold it," Takumi called out, "Anastasia, are you sure he can be saved?"

"Yes. I think the wound only made it halfway through where it should have been - the armor isn't quite as useless as some of you might think. It's managed to delay the puncture through the skin, but it has been able to make it through, but not as deep to be considered irreversibly fatal."

Anastasia blew a strand of hair out of her face, which was hard to as her forehead was sticky of sweat. "With my magic and the princesses' efforts, we can be able to heal him internally from the inside. The weapon is still inside, so he hasn't lost a lot of blood. But we have to hurry!"

"All right." Ryoma nodded. "Sakura, Princess Elise, follow her orders."

Elise immediately bounded over to her, a face of determination written all over her face. Sakura followed after several seconds of hesitation.

"What sha- shall you have us do, Anastasia?" The latter asked, bringing out her healing staff.

"The wound is internally based this time, so we're going to need as much effort and concentration as possible." Corrin watched as Anastasia began to roll her wrists around to prepare for the healing spell. "However, we must leave the weapon in to prevent further blood loss until the wound is internally knitted inside enough for it to safely be pulled out."

She looked up and glanced at Xander. "Your Highness, I think I need your help on this as well. You've handled Nohrian swords the best out of everyone here, I believe, and I need you to pull out this sword carefully on my cue, or else everything will go to waste. Please be careful, because one simple mistake will cost Gunter's life."